Subchapter III: Fishery Zones of Chapter 1: Fishery Zones and Regulation of Foreign Fishing

Palau National Code 1990 - Fishing (Title 27) PALAU NATIONAL CODE (PNC) Title 27 Fishing (Division 1: Foreign fishing Chapter 1: Fishery Zones and Regulation of Foreign Fishing) Subchapter III: Fishery Zones 141. Baselines. 142. Territorial sea; internal waters. 143. Exclusive fishery zone. 144. Extended fishery zone. 145. Merged zone. 146. Submerged reefs. 147. Delimitation. 141. Baselines A baseline is a continuous line which encircles an island or atoll. The baseline from which the zones designated in this chapter are to be measured as follows: (a) The baseline of an island or portion of an island lacking a barrier reef, fringing reef, or other reef system is the low water line of the island as marked on large scale charts officially recognized by the national government. (b) The baseline of an atoll or island or portion of an island having a barrier reef, fringing reef, or other reef system is a line following the contour of the seaward edge of the reef system, which line connects those outermost elevations of the reef which are above water at low tide, and which line exists as marked on large scale charts officially recognized by the national government. 142. Territorial sea; internal waters (a) There is hereby established a territorial sea of three miles' breadth. The inner boundary of the territorial sea of each island or atoll is the baseline as defined in section 141 of this title. The outer boundary is a line, every point of which is three nautical miles seaward of the nearest point on the baseline. Waters landward of the baseline, including the lagoons of atolls or islands, are internal waters. 143. Exclusive fishery zone (a) There is hereby established an exclusive fishery zone contiguous to the territorial sea. The inner boundary of the exclusive fishery zone of each island or atoll is the seaward boundary of the territorial sea, and the outer boundary is a line, every point of which is 12 nautical miles seaward of the nearest point on the baseline as defined in section 141 of this title. (b) The national government possesses and may exercise the same sovereign rights to living resources in the exclusive fishery zone as it does in the territorial sea. 144. Extended fishery zone (a) There is hereby established an extended fishery zone contiguous to the exclusive fishery zone. The inner boundary of the extended fishery zone of each island or atoll is the seaward boundary of the exclusive fishery zone, and the outer boundary is a line, every point of which is 200 nautical miles seaward of the nearest point on the baseline as defined in section 141 of this title. (b) The national government shall have exclusive management, conservation, and regulatory authority over all living resources within the extended fishery zone to the full extent recognized by international law. 145. Merged zone Where the zone of one island overlaps a like zone of another island, they merge and become one zone, the outer boundary of which is the seaward-most boundary of the merged zone. 146. Submerged reefs Traditionally recognized fishing rights in submerged reef areas wherever located within the fishery zones of the Republic shall be preserved and respected in accordance with the regulations of the Authority. 147. Delimitation (a) The Authority, the United States Government and the Trust Territory Government shall cooperate in the delimitation of the extended fishery zone when it overlaps a zone of national jurisdiction established by another nation. (b) In the event a fishery zone of the Republic overlaps with that of another nation of the Trust Territory, the Authority may by agreement with the appropriate agency of that nation resolve the conflict in their respective fishery zones.